Prime Minister asked Dong Thap to become pionner in developing modern rural areas: Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh addresses the working session. (Photo: VNA)

On August 13, working with the provincial Party Committee’s Standing Board, Prime Minister Chinh highlighted Dong Thap’s favourable location and high potential, noting that it shares a long border line with Cambodia with two international border gates, and has a large area of alluvial soil thanks to Tien and Hau Rivers.

Along with a favourable transport infrastructure system, Dong Thap is home to many famous landscapes and relic sites as well as a diverse ecosystem with a large area of special-use forests and wetlands, he said.

However, the Government leader pointed out that Dong Thap has still faced many shortcomings, including a low level of investment mobilisation, slow economic recovery, erosion and canal pollution, and low urbanisation rate.

He asked the province to focus on developing high-tech agriculture, speeding up digital transformation and green transition, while promoting circular and shared economy, especially in agriculture to reach the goal of fast, comprehensive, inclusive and sustainable growth.

The Prime Minister also requested Dong Thap to create a breakthrough development in all pillars, taking agricultural economy as the driving force, and agricultural product processing, green growth, digital transformation, innovation, construction materials, renewable energy and supporting industry as spearhead sectors, while concentrating on developing high quality human resources, developing technical and social infrastructure system and modern urban areas.

He stressed the need for the province to optimise its potential, especially in border trade, and cultural and historical tradition.

At the same time, Dong Thap should speed up the disbursement of public investment capital and capital for three national target programmes, while strengthening connectivity with other localities in the region, diversifying resources, improving the investment environment, and paying greater attention to environmental protection and climate change response, the Prime Minister said.

He also reminded the province to focus on building the Party and political system, ensuring security, defence, social order and safety, preventing criminals, and strengthening external relations to maintain a borderline of peace, friendship and cooperation.

Last year, Dong Thap posted a GRDP growth of 8.62%, ranking fifth among the 13 Mekong Delta localities. The locality’s per capita GRDP is projected to reach 68.83 million VND (2,894 USD) in 2023.

It has the largest number of OCOP (One Commune-One Product) products among the localities nationwide with 357 products. Meanwhile, 94.78% of total communes of Dong Thap have been recognised as new-style rural areas.

In the first six months of 2023, GRDP of Dong Thap increased 5.89%. In the period, its industrial production reached 35 trillion VND (1.47 billion USD), while the agro-forestry-fisheries production reached 21.67 trillion VND, up 13.14%. Dong Thap drew 2.5 million tourists, a rise of 8.99% year on year.

Dong Thap’s State budget collection hit 4.12 trillion VND, equivalent to 54.57% of the yearly estimate. In the first seven months of this year, the province completed 50.38% of its yearly plan for public investment disbursement.

At the working session, Dong Thap leaders gave a number of proposals, including the establishment of a specialised economic zone and the upgrade of Thuong Phuoc International Border Gate.